I was thinking that there is a way to fix two problems that alot people complain about.
People bitch (including me) about the tremendous volume of junk mail.
There is also some grumbling about postal rates going up.
Bulk mailers already get much better rates than the rest of us. (I know, they do sort their mail by zipcode and such…) How about the Post Office does the next couple rate hike primarily or completely on bulk mail rates. It would be great. We would (hopefully) get less junk mail AND we would appreciate what we got more as we knew they were helping to keep our rates down.
Here’s the problem, with what is a great idea.
Do you realize how many jobs would be lost? We hate junk mail but it must sell some things and therefore raises jobs thru demand. Then there are the printers of junk mail that wouldn’t be needed. And last but certainly the most important think about how many fewer post office employees would be needed.
Something similar is the idea of simplier taxes. Can’t do that because 80% of the accountants and 50% of the lawyers wouldn’t be needed. Then there are the people required to keep records and the supplies of paper, etc. that wouldn’t be needed.
The only way to do this would be to let Congress pass a bill that raised bulk rates 8 years from now, allowing every politician at least one more term before it takes effect. But let Congress say they have done away with junk mail in a way that voters think it is in effect immediately. After 8 years the rates will only go up a little, but will increase until 28 years later they are completely prohibitive.
This actually would work for lots of different ideas, but get them passed as soon as possible. For those of you that are 40 or younger you will live to see them come true and consider kniz to be a man ahead of his time. For the rest of us it is too late and we have the votes to defeat the whole idea.
Bulk mail does serve a purpose for some legitimate business’.
We mailed a hefty catalogue to customers worldwide. The bulk rate only applies to the US though. Outside of the US is either by a really slow boat or freighter or (hopefully) air mail which cost plenty for a catalogue.
Part of my point is catalogues weigh considerably more than 2 page letters, and the USPS recognizes that fact, giving heavier items a small break.
But it is obvious that some companies just buy active mailing list and burden the system with their junk mail. We’ve made up fake names to our address only later to get junk mail to the alias.
The mail system is a public service that rakes in bundles of money, but like other brances of government they don’t know how to manage it properly thus always cry poormouth.
The Post always gets their money when you buy a stamp. Even if you don’t use it, they got it. I know it’s expensive to mail anything, but try to get the same letter 3-day ground by UPS and you’ll spend considerably more than 37 cents.
We’re in a no-win situation - we pay they haul and deliver (most of the time).
I’ve never looked at a Post Office budget, so this is speculative. I suspect that the Post Office makes money on bulk mail. If they raised its price and its volume reduced, the Post Office would have to cut services for all of us.
A key is the split between fixed expenses and variable expenses. The Post Office has a lot of fixed expenses, so they need a lot of sales to contriubute to the cost of their fixed expenses.
[slight hijack] This reminds me of the argument that telemarketers often make: “Telemarketing generates $X billion a year, and provides employment for many thousands of people. How could you even think of banning it?” To me, that’s like saying that armed robbery is a vital source of income for thousands of people. If we put a stop to it, these poor folks won’t have any way to feed their starving children. Or, if we prevent spills from oil tankers, what will the poor otter scrubbers do for a living? [/slight hijack]
